Your baby's developmental milestones at 6 months
Everything you need to know about your growing 6-month-old.
At 6 months, your baby will start using sounds to express emotion. They may mimic sounds they hear, like "ma,” “da,” “ah,” “oh" and even "no!" Your little one will begin to recognize familiar faces, reach and grasp for toys and will soon be crawling — start preparing your home (and yourself) for a mobile child!
Get ready by removing any sharp, breakable or electric objects from your child’s reach, locking closets with dangerous liquids or supplies (or putting them in a safe place) and closing windows to ensure your child’s safety.
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Social and emotional milestones at 6 months
Some of the ways you’ll see your little one learning to connect with the people around them at 6 months:
- Is usually happy and responds to the emotions of others
- Starting to differentiate between familiar faces and strangers
- Enjoys playing with you and others
- Has fun looking at their reflection in a mirror
Tips for parents
- Talk to your baby about what is going on around them in a sweet tone.
- Include a child-friendly or plastic mirror with their toys so they can watch their movements.
- Start playing more body games like peek-a-boo.
Language and communication milestones at 6 months
How your baby is expressing their needs:
- Will recognize and respond to their name
- Puts vowel sounds together and likes taking turns saying them with you. They are starting to make some consonant sounds, too.
- Will respond to noises by making sounds
- Is making sounds to show positive and negative emotions
Tips for parents
- Engage in playful conversations with your baby: Create a serve-and-return interaction by repeating back to them the sounds they make.
- Familiarize your baby with their name by using it frequently.
Brain development milestones at 6 months
How your child’s brain is growing:
- They are curious: They look at objects nearby and try to grab ones that are out of reach.
- They pass things from one hand to the other and brings their hands to their mouth.
Tips for parents
- Provide your baby with toys that are easy to pick up with one hand.
- Have conversations with your baby about different objects they are putting into their mouth.
>>Discover learning activities for 6-month-olds
Movement and physical development milestones at 6 months
How they’ll move through their environment:
- Is starting to be able to sit without a support
- Is rolling over in both directions
- Will push down on their legs when their feet are on a hard surface
- Rocks back and forth
Tips for parents
- Leave their favourite toys nearby so they can reach them by rolling over.
Food and nutrition milestones at 6 months
What mealtimes look like at 6 months:
- Are showing an interest in food and opens their mouth when spoon fed
- Are moving food from the front to the back of their mouth when they chew
- Are starting to eat cereals and single-ingredient pureed foods like carrots, sweet potato and pears
Tips for parents
- At 6 months, your baby needs more than breastmilk alone. Start giving them just 2 or 3 spoonfuls of soft food four times a day.
Things to look out for
While all babies develop differently, you should speak to your paediatrician immediately if your 6-month-old:
- Doesn’t show affection to parents or caregivers
- Won’t respond to nearby sounds
- Doesn’t laugh
- Has a hard time getting things into their mouth
- Doesn’t make vowel sounds
- Seems too floppy or too stiff
- Can’t roll over in either direction
- Doesn’t attempt to grab objects nearby
